Paso Robles is overflowing with wineries showcasing some of California’s best varietals, but, for a unique wine tasting experience, follow the winding road up a tree-covered hillside just outside of town to PasoPort Wine Company and Distillery.

Posters of 1940s- and 1950s-style pin-ups adorn the trees that line the drive, building the anticipation of your arrival at the tasting room at the top of the hill. Housed inside of a renovated barn is a warm and inviting space staffed with friendly and knowledgeable sommeliers ready to share well-crafted wines and spirits.

They produce products under a family of brands: Per Caso, makers of local wine; Pendray’s Distillery, which produces brandies and liqueurs; and the company’s main claim to fame, PasoPort, the label for the fortified, port-style wines the winery specializes in. The labels adorning the port wine bottles are playfully designed with pin-ups to match the names of traditional port styles like Ruby and Tawny. The selection also includes standouts like the Angelica, an aged white port, and a Brandi rosé port.

Not only is PasoPort one of the few wineries in the area brave enough to consistently produce port wines, the dedication the owners, Steve and Lola Glossner, put into the production make it a must-visit on any Paso Robles wine country tour. The ports are all fortified with brandy made on site in the winery’s impressive, 500-liter German pot still, which serves as an impressive backdrop as guests enjoy samples of the winery’s finest in the tasting room.

Spirit selections include Apple Brandy and a port barrel-aged Viognier Brandy, while wine selections include a full-bodied Nebbiolo, a smooth Chenin-Blanc and, occasionally, a delicate sparkling wine named Perle, adorned with a pin-up mermaid, will appear on the shelves.

PasoPort Wine Company

95 Booker Rd.
Templeton, CA
tel 805 239 2229